New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a news conference Jan. 9 at the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J. A former Port Authority official has claimed in a letter that Christie knew about lane closures at the George Washington Bridge while they were happening.
(The Associated Press)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie knew about the lane closings at the George Washington Bridge in September and "evidence exists" to prove it, the former Port Authority official who oversaw the closures said in a letter obtained by The New York Times.

In a letter released by his lawyer, David Wildstein called the order to close the lanes "the Christie administration's order," The Times said. It added that "evidence exists as well tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference" three weeks ago.

The letter from attorney Alan Zegas to the Port Authority also said Christie made inaccurate statements about Wildstein during a Jan. 9 news conference and that Wildstein can "prove the inaccuracy of some," The Wall Street Journal said.

The letter did not specify what the evidence is, The Times said.

Zegas had written to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey asking it to reconsider a decision not to pay Wildstein's legal bills, NJ.com reported.

Wildstein, who resigned in December as New Jersey's representative to the Port Authority, has been a key figure in the investigation into lane closures in September on the Jersey side of the authority's George Washington Bridge, USA Today said.

The closures tied up traffic for four days in Fort Lee, N.J. Emails and texts disclosed earlier in January indicate the closures may have been retribution against Fort Lee's mayor, who did not endorse Christie's re-election bid.

Christie has said he learned about the lane closures from media accounts published after they occurred.